The European Commission (EC) is expected to tighten regulations on the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) permitted in virgin and extra virgin olive oil this year, according to an Olive Oil Times report.
Produced by burning coal, oil, natural gas, wood, waste materials and tobacco, PAHs are organic compounds known to cause cancer and harmful mutations in mammals, the 1 October report said.
Current European regulations limit the amount of some PAHs in olive oil to less than 10mcg/gm. For benzo(a)pyrene, one of the most common PAHs, the limit is 2mcg/gm.
Although virgin olive oil should be free of PAHs, contamination can occur either directly during milling or indirectly through the olives’ exposure to smoke or air pollution, according to the report.
The pruning of trees during the olive harvesting process was a significant source of contamination as the lubricants used in chainsaws contained PAHs.
PHAs were also found in the chemicals used to produce jute sacks, used to transport olives.
In addition, PAHs can be found in industrial solvents and, as a result, “olive pomace oils have higher PAH contents, exceeding the limits in some cases,” according to a recent study by researchers from Italy’s University of Udine.
Farmers’ associations have urged the EC to provide formal guidance on practices that could cause PAH to be introduced during cultivation, harvesting and extraction, Olive Oil Times wrote.
Under the new regulations, the expectation was that any extra virgin olive oil containing PAHs would be considered as unsuitable for consumption, Olive Oil Times wrote.
As a result, producers would have to sell the substandard oil for biodiesel at €0.80/litre compared to €8/litre for extra virgin olive oil.
While the situation had prompted a rethink for some farmers, researchers quoted in the report believed the restrictions would further improve public opinion about olive oil quality.
“Any idea and rule which could result in a better understanding of olive oil quality is useful to increase customer satisfaction based on quality,” Michele Pisante, chair of the agronomy and crop sciences research and education centre at the University of Teramo, told Olive Oil Times.
Although European olive oil-producing countries had asked the EC to delay the new PAH rules until 2028, there was no guarantee the request would be granted, the report said.
Olive oil contamination is a significant concern in the 27-member bloc, according to the report.
Last year, a small-scale analysis of France’s organic and non-organic olive oil brands found that 23 out of 24 samples were contaminated with plasticisers and mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs).
Published by France’s National Consumer Institute, the study identified traces of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in the samples.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that MOSH could accumulate in human tissue and could cause adverse effects in the liver, and that MOAH may be mutagenic and carcinogenic.
The new PAH regulation is part of Europe’s ongoing efforts to combat food contamination.
